


Collingwood Crawlers

by JackPhryne4eva



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: head lice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 19:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7374721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackPhryne4eva/pseuds/JackPhryne4eva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne's perspective on a particular parasitic pest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collingwood Crawlers

Mother didn’t know what they were at first.  
Mother never had any experience with them. Growing up differently.

 

But Father knew. 

 

Father knew right off when he finally opened his bleary eyes after a few weeks doing whatever Father did when he was away from Mother and Janey and her.

Father had no money for the powder and Mother didn’t want to say anything to Aunt Prudence. 

“Nothing for it ‘cept lye and hog fat.”

It would’ve been alright. She could’ve taken the treatment twice and three times, but the comb was unbearable. 

But worse were Janey’s cries.  
They made her want to scream.

Mother’s hands bled from scrubbing the bungalow top to bottom.  
Sheets, clothes, blankets, even Janey’s doll had a go in the washing tub.

 

Father didn’t explain that nothing is ever easy in Collingwood.  
So when they came back again, Father wasn’t surprised. 

 

It was Mother who cried while cutting Janey’s and her hair.  
With each long, long glorious lock that fell to the floor another of Mother’s sobs broke.

She really didn’t mind. She felt lighter, free to toss her head and laugh at the pirate boys in the lane. 

Until they didn’t want to play with her anymore.

“Me Ma sed ya was dirty and playing with ya’d have me crawling.”

So she and Janey played their own pirate games from then on.

 

Father didn’t explain that once they come they never really go away.  
So when they came back again, he laughed at Mother scratching her head.

 

Oh, but she did love her Mother’s hair.  
She loved to help brush it. Using the silver brush from Aunt Prudence.

When Mother cut her own hair, how her chest ached as she caught each lovely curl. Her tears were silent, but they were the worst.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Once you've had your own infestation, you know how insidious head lice can be.  
> Given the prevalence of head lice throughout human history, I figured our Collingwood clan probably had their fair share of the pesky parasites.
> 
> The powder I mentioned was called 'pyrethrum' or 'Persian Insect Powder' and was derived from the florets of a species of Chrysanthemum ( _roseum Caucasicum_ ). Formerly the genus was named _pyrethrum_ hence the name of the powder, which is still in use today as an insecticide.
> 
> If you are of an inquisitive nature, here is a delightful history of head lice and (nontoxic?) treatments.  
> [A Brief History of Head Lice](http://nuvoforheadlice.com/test/?page_id=101)  
> The naphthalene (think mothballs) and kerosene treatments sound delightful. Though my personal favorite might be the mercury.


End file.
